Worldwide, countries have implemented regulations requiring that resin compositions used in office automation devices and electric or electronic goods meet strict safety standards, including flame retardancy requirements. In addition, as a marketing tool, home appliances suppliers are further strengthening the flame retardant property as an internal regulation and many require their products to have a flame retardancy of UL (underwriters' Laboratories) 94 V-0.
Flame retardant can be added to a resin composition to give flame resistance. Examples of flame retardants include halogen-containing compounds, phosphorus-containing compounds, sulfonic acid metal salt compounds, silicon compounds, and the like.
Flame retardants can be effective in preventing combustion of the thermoplastic resin. Once the resin begins burning, however, it can be difficult to prevent dripping after it is in a liquid phase.
Anti-dripping agents can be added to prevent dripping of the melted resin during combustion. Fluorinated resins can be used as an anti-dripping agent.
Korean Patent No. 2004-0059618 discloses a method for preventing dripping of a resin by restricting the flow of the resin, and by increasing the shrinkage rate of the resin during burning by forming a fibrillar network inside the resin composition using a fluorinated polyolefin resin. However, if the fluorinated polyolefin resin forming a fibrillar network is used as an anti-dripping agent, pitting or silver streaks can be formed on the surface of injection molding product. In addition, this anti-dripping agent is typically used in more than a specific amount, which can impair the flame retardancy of the final resin product.